AfterLife
by L0stDreamer
Summary: Katara, a ship captain's daughter, is shipwrecked and rescued by the residents of a village on an island. When she discovers that she may be the wreck's only survivor, she becomes depressed. Can Zuko comfort her? AU. Zutara with some Jetara.
1. The Storm

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN avatar or any of its characters. If I did, Zutara would have happened XD. A:tLA belongs to Nick, Viacom and Mike and Bryan.  
AFTERLIFE PART I  
AfterLife Chapter 1  
Katara started the day that would change her life just as she would any other. When she woke up, before she even opened her eyes, she listened. As she heard the water lapping against the starboard side of the Southern Belle, felt it rock her gently, she smiled. She rose from her bed and dressed. That day, she chose a deep blue gown with a tiered skirt and off-the-shoulder straps.  
Katara tied her mother's necklace on, thinking of the woman who had once worn it. She'd barely known her mother when she died of a fever when Katara was four and her brother, Sokka, was five. One month later, their grief-stricken father went back to doing what he always had done: captaining ships, and he took his children with him!  
As Katara made her way up to the deck, she ran into one of the younger sailors; a boy named Aang, who was never without his sailor hat.  
"Oh, h-hi, Katara," the little boy stuttered, his pale cheeks flushing.  
"Good morning, Aang, what brings you here?" Katara didn't understand why he was blushing so much.  
"Oh! I came to fetch you, as a matter of fact. Your father wants you up on deck. We have a big storm coming, and we need all the help we can get to batten down the hatches."  
"No problem!"

Aang was right about the storm. There were signs of its approach everywhere. The air felt so thick with humidity, almost ready to burst into rain. The sky was darkened with deep gray clouds. Katara found her father shouting directions up to Teo in the Crow's Nest. When he saw his daughter, a smile immediately transformed his weathered face. He pulled his youngest child into a loving embrace, not caring what his men would think.  
"Good morning, Sweetie. Did Aang find you?"  
"Good morning, Papa. And yes, bumped into him on my way up here, as a matter of fact. What can I do to help?"  
"Hmm, let's see.... Why don't you help your brother tie down those barrels of fish over there?" he asked  
"Of course!" Katara replied, running over to her brother.  
Sokka wore his long hair back in a ponytail as he worked, determined to get his job done with no distractions. He welcomed his little sister's help.  
"For some weird reason Aang kept blushing when he came to get me,"  
said Katara, puzzled.  
Sokka chuckled. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"  
"Figured out what?" Katara asked, frustrated.  
"Come on, Katara. He's sweet on you."  
"What?!"  
"He likes you, Katara,"said Sokka, smiling.  
"No. He's only what... twelve? He's way too young."  
"You're never too young to fall in love," said a new voice. Katara turned to see Jet and his friends Smellerbee and Longshot.  
"Oh! H-hello, Jet," Katara greeted him, slightly flustered. She threw Sokka a venomous look when she heard him trying not to laugh. Jet was just a friend. A very good looking friend.  
"Hey, Katara. So what are you two talking about?"  
"Aang. Sokka says he's in love with me," Katara threw another glare at her brother.  
"I don't see why he wouldn't be. Why, a beautiful, talented girl like you? Who wouldn't love you?" Jet's smile took Katara's breath away.  
"Well, I-" Katara began.  
"Why don't you just admit it, Katara? You're beautiful," Jet cut in, reaching for her hand, only to drop it when he heard a loud cough from Sokka.  
Mere seconds later, lightning flashed across the sky, thunder soon accompanying it. Rain pelted them from the sky, which was now as dark as night. The deck was soon flooded. Sailors ran about in chaos, trying their best to secure whatever stray items they could.  
"Forget the cargo! Save yourselves! Go belo-ow!" Hakoda shouted as the ship rocked violently beneath his feet.  
Many members of the crew, including Jet, Longshot, and Smellerbee, rushed to the hatch concealing the descending stairs, but many more stayed on deck, determined to do their jobs.  
"Didn't you hear me?! Leave the cargo! Go!" The captain bellowed. Many more men scrambled to their cabins.  
In her ten years of seafaring, Katara had seen many a squall, but none like this. She felt as though the rain were lashing her. The boat's violent swaying made it difficult for her to run to her father.  
"Katara! What did I say?! Go to your cabin! Save yourself!" Hakoda shouted at the sight at the sight of his daughter.  
"I won't until you do!" Katara shouted above the squall, embracing him.  
"I can't afford to lose you," he replied. "I've already lost one person I love, and I won't lose any more."  
"I agree with Katara, Dad," Sokka chimed in. They turned to see him behind them, his hair soaked. "I'm not going below deck until you do."  
"Alright then," Hakoda surrendered. "Let's go the-en!" He slipped on the flooded deck, sliding as the boat tipped sideways.  
"Father!" Katara and Sokka cried simultaneously, reaching for the man's hand. Sokka got to him first, only to be pulled down with him.  
"No!" Katara cried, reaching for her only family, but they slipped further and further away from her-  
"No!" She cried, running after them, but slipping in the process. She hit the deck hard, a terrible pain erupting in her leg. Still she limped, only to continue falling. She heard a crack and the pain intensified. Her father and brother were nowhere to be seen. She sneezed, shivering in the cold, wet rain. She wished her father were there to wrap a blanket around her, to comfort her, to tell her everything would be alright. But he and Sokka were probably drifting out to sea. As she wept and coughed, Katara slowly slipped out of consciousness, the last thing she saw being a nearby bolt of lightning, a burning smell coming with it.


	2. Discovery

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN avatar or any of its characters. If I did, Zutara would have happened XD. A:tLA belongs to Nick, Viacom and Mike and Bryan  
AfterLife Chapter 2: Discovery  
"That was quite a squall yesterday," Ursa remarked as she set down two cups of tea on the table, taking another for herself.  
"Indeed. Nearly blew down the garden. Good thing we prepared!" Iroh replied, sipping his tea.  
"Zuko, you're awfully quiet this morning. Is something wrong?" Ursa looked concernedly at her son.  
Zuko sat brooding silently over his tea. The storm had kept him up all night, and he was in no mood for polite conversation. He simply shook his head no at his mother's question.  
"Oh. Well good. Because today some of the villagers and I are going down to the beach to check for wreckage, and I'd like you to join us."  
"No, thank you," Zuko hated turning down his mother's plans, but he had no interest in scrounging around shipwrecks like a beggar, searching for something they could use.  
"Zuko, it's for the good of the village," Ursa said indignantly. "We need all the help we can get. Do it for me, son."  
Zuko sighed. When his mother said it like that, she was impossible to refuse. He would do it for her.  
"Okay," he surrendered. "I'll come."  
"Good! Finish your tea, and we'll get going."

Zuko was amazed at what he found on the beach. At the most, he'd expected several loose timbers and maybe a picture frame, but instead he and the villagers had discovered what must have been half of a ship.  
He found a broken clock, several forks and spoons and a picture of a family of blue-eyed sea goers, but what intrigued him the most was the scrap of bright blue cloth lying beneath a large section of the ship's deck. He didn't know what, but something drew him to it.  
Was it possible...?  
He reached down and tugged on the cloth, only to find that it was attached to something.  
Maybe...  
With a mighty heave, he lifted the boards, only to be shocked at what he found beneath them.  
For there, lying among the wreckage of her once-great vessel, her leg bent at an odd angle, was the most beautiful girl Zuko had ever seen.

"Mother! Come quick!"  
"What is it, Zuko?" Ursa shouted back to her son.  
"Come see!" Zuko panted, exhausted from sprinting to his mother.  
Ursa had to run to keep up with her son. When they reached the girl, she gasped.  
"Quick. We have to get her back to the village fast."  
"Got it," Zuko said, picking the girl up. Her skin felt cold, almost lifeless. He and his mother jogged back to the village, fearing that running would worsen the girl's condition.  
Iroh nearly choked on his tea when Zuko and Ursa burst through the door.  
"What happened?" He managed to ask.  
"Found her on the beach. There's a huge wreck."  
"Zuko, take her to the spare bedroom. I'll get blankets." Ursa began delegating tasks, running off to the storage room.  
Zuko set the girl down on the bed. He sat in a nearby chair, harvested from another wreck several months back. Moments later, his mother bustled in, carrying a heap of blankets. She wrapped several around the girl before placing a moist cloth on her head. After inspecting the girl's leg, Ursa shook her head.  
"Just as I suspected. It's broken. Bring me some bandages and something to splint it with."  
Zuko did as he was told, returning with a small piece of wood and bandages. Once Ursa had set the girl's leg, she rose.  
"Keep an eye on her. We'll do that in turns until she wakes up." With that, she left to return to the beach.  
Zuko took out the picture he'd found, examining it closely. The girl looked almost identical to the woman depicted; only she was younger. He reasoned that she was the little girl with the bright eyes. The man in the picture looked down at her lovingly. Zuko felt a pang of sadness. His own family had never been so loving. She was the only one they had found, so her family was probably gone. Unless they hadn't been on board... but who would send a young woman off by herself? Zuko felt sorry for her.

Thanks for reading! Constructive Criticism is encouraged.

I originally typed this chapter while listening to the song "A Shore Never reached" from Titanic, composed by James Horner.

In the next chapter, Katara wakes up.


	3. Awakening

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN avatar or any of its characters. If I did, Zutara would have happened XD. A:tLA belongs to Nick, Viacom and Mike and Bryan

AfterLife Chapter 3

Awakening

Katara awoke slowly, realizing that people were speaking.

"Yao brought this over. He thinks it might give the girl some comfort," She heard a woman saying.

"It looks just like her," a teenage boy replied.

Katara was confused. Neither of the voices sounded familiar. She no longer felt the gentle rocking sensation that she had become familiar with. Where was she?

Then she remembered: the rain, her father and brother, the only family she had left in this world, slipping away; falling down in pain...

the lightning.

She sat bolt upright, her eyes wide open. She saw a young woman with a pale complexion, black hair and golden eyes. Next to her sat a boy, a little older than she herself. He and the woman had similar features. He was handsome, but the left side of his face had been badly burned, his eye only partially open. Katara winced inside. _That must have hurt_, she thought.

The pair stared at her. She drew back sharply, a scorching pain arising in her leg. She cried out. The woman rushed forward to tend to her.

"Your leg's broken, dear. Try not to move it too much for a little while." she said tenderly.

"Wh-who are you?" Katara asked timidly. Before either of the two could answer, she continued. "Where's my father? Where's Sokka?"

"I'm sorry-?" the woman began, but was soon cut off.

"Where's Jet? Where's Toph?" A tear rolled down Katara's cheek at the memory of her best friend. She and Toph had had more than their fair share of arguments, but Katara hated to think what could have happened to her.

"Where's Aang? Where's Haru? Where's Pipsqueak? Where is Teo?" The tears were now flowing freely down Katara's face.

Her voice now came in sobs; wordless, but clear in meaning. She buried her face in her hands. What had happened? Who were these people? Where was her father?

After crying for what felt like an eternity, Katara felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder.

"There, there, child," she heard the woman say soothingly.

"Wh-who are you?" Katara asked.

"My name is Ursa. My son, Zuko, my husband, Iroh, and I will take good care of you. What is your name?"

"K-katara, she answered timidly, "but what do you mean?" Katara asked. "Where's my father? Where is everyone?"

There was a brief silence which to Katara felt like ages.

"You were the only person we found in the wreckage." Ursa solemnly replied.

"No. That's not possible. There were seven-and-eighty men on board the _Southern Belle_. It's not possible that I'm the only one-"

"I'm sorry, but no others were found. Zuko discovered you beneath a board-"

"Then look underneath all of the other boards! Scour the shores! Please... my father and brother are all I have..."

Once again, Katara burst into tears. Ursa, began to reach out a hand, then thought better of it.

"Perhaps we should leave her be," She whispered to Zuko.

As they left the room, Zuko turned, and stealing a glance at the girl who had lost everything in one storm...

his heart broke. Just a little bit.

Sorry about the wait. Thanks for reading! As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.

The chapter title has nothing to do with the first episode of season 3.

Thanks, xyzisme, for the tip about the formatting. I'll keep it like this for the rest of the story.

Originally typed while listening to A Shore Never Reached from Titanic

In the next chapter, the angst begins!


	4. Lucky?

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN avatar or any of its characters. If I did, Zutara would have happened XD. A:tLA belongs to Nick, Viacom and Mike and Bryan.

AfterLife Chapter 4

Lucky?

"Zuko, could you bring this to Katara?" Ursa asked her son, holding out a bowl of soup neatly laid out on a tray.

It had been a week since Katara had awoken. Even with the crutch that one of the villagers had brought her, Katara had not left her room at all in that time. The family took turns bringing her meals. Zuko took the bowl, heading towards Katara's room. He found her sitting upright, holding the picture that he had found of her family, looking at it thoughtfully. Zuko set the tray down wordlessly in front of Katara. He had begun to walk out of the room when he heard Katara speak in a low, subdued voice.

"Did you find anyone?" She asked without looking up.

"No. Sorry." Zuko replied.

"Oh," she said, sounding slightly downcast.

"We'll keep looking," Zuko continued when he noticed this.

"I'm sorry, " Katara said quietly, staring down at her soup. "It's just hard," she looked up, and for the first time, their eyes met.

"It's just that...my father was always there. After my mother died, he took Sokka, my brother, and I on all of his trips. He was a merchant ship captain. We were always very close. I thought those days would never end...but apparently, they did." Katara looked back down at the picture, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"You never know. We might find him, and your brother, too." Zuko didn't truly believe what he was saying, but he felt the need to comfort the girl.

"Are you kidding? There's no way," Katara's voice was louder now. "He and Sokka just slipped away from me- right across the deck. They're probably floating around somewhere. I know I was lucky but...I don't feel that way." Katara broke down, sobbing.

Zuko didn't know what to do. Here was a girl who had just lost everything, sobbing. He didn't know how to comfort someone who had been through so much. He knew that talking would do no good, so he wrapped his arms around Katara, conveying to her what his words could not express. Katara returned the embrace, burying her face in his chest as she mourned her fallen family.

**I know, it's really short. Sorry!**

**Thanks for reading! Constructive criticism is appreciated.**

**Originally written and typed while listening to Angel by Sarah MacLachlan.**

**In the next chapter, angst and anger boil.**


	5. Not Alone

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN avatar or any of its characters. If I did, Zutara would have happened XD. A:tLA belongs to Nick, Viacom and Mike and Bryan  
AfterLife Chapter 5

Not Alone

A few weeks after Katara's second breakdown, things had begun to improve. Her leg was healing and she'd begun to regain some of the weight that she had lost during her initial depression. She had even been known to occasionally come out of her room to join the family for meals. One day, Zuko again brought Katara a meal. It was late in the evening when he set the girl's tray before her. After he did so, she looked up at him.

"Did you find anyone?" She asked. Her voice was more hopeful than he had ever heard it before. Because of this, he felt terrible about what he would have to tell her.

"Unfortunately, no. Everyday we find more things from the wreck. Who knows? They may lead to a camp. By now, any survivors have probably established one. We'll keep looking."

Katara's face fell. Recently, Zuko had given her so much hope. How could he throw it away? She felt that he was to blame for this pain she felt.

"That's all you'll ever say," She said darkly in a near-whisper. "You'll keep looking and looking, but will you find anything? No."

"Katara, I-" Zuko began, but he was quickly cut off.

"You have NO IDEA how I feel. The wreck left me alone and hurt and so... frustrated. With myself, with the world, and now with you!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Zuko felt a momentary burst of anger at himself. Why did he have to cause tears to run down such a beautiful face?

"I understand your frustration," Zuko said "I feel that way a lot. My past hasn't been a bed of roses either. And of course you're hurt," Zuko looked into her eyes. Katara felt something strange- something that she'd never felt before. It felt almost as though her heart had just done a back flip. Katara couldn't place the emotion; all that she could think of were Zuko's eyes boring into hers.

"Something like that you'll never forget. It changed your life." She heard him say.

"But you're not alone," He continued. Taking a chance, he wrapped his arms around Katara. Katara didn't protest, rather throwing her arms around him. Her heart did another flip.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly, calmer now. "You're right. I feel almost exactly the way you described. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you?"

There was a long silence. Katara worried that perhaps she'd gone too far.

"It's a long story," Zuko sighed. "I'll try to tell you someday."

Yay! Katara's beginning to realize her feelings for Zuko!

As always, thanks for reading! Constructive criticism is appreciated!

Originally typed and written while listening to several songs by the Goo Goo Dolls, as well as the song "Time After Time," the performances by Cyndi Lauper and Quietdrive.

Katara gets angry again in the next chapter. Will it end as well as it did this time?

I'm sorry that it's been such a long time since I last updated. I'll try to be quicker!


	6. Meant to Live

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN avatar or any of its characters. If I did, Zutara would have happened. A:tLA belongs to Nick, Viacom and Mike and Bryan

AfterLife Chapter 6  
Meant to Live

It had been two months since the storm, and Katara could once again walk without the assistance of a crutch. While this was an improvement, Katara could not help but miss her family. One day, she was staring forlornly into the only picture she had left of them when Zuko walked into the room.

"Is this you?" He asked, gesturing towards the Southern Belle's figure head, which was mounted on the wall.

"No. It's my mother." she sighed. There was a long silence.

"Zuko, why did you save me?" Katara eventually asked.

This question caught Zuko off guard. Why did he save Katara?

"Well, I couldn't just leave you there on the beach. Something might have happened to you." This seemed logical enough to him. But there was still one other reason...

"What could have happened to me, Zuko?" She asked, the tension in her voice rising. "Maybe I could have died?"

"Perhaps," Zuko replied. For some reason, he could no longer imagine life without Katara. Her death was unthinkable to him.

"Well what if I wanted to die?" Katara burst out, finally cracking.

"Why would you want that?" Zuko felt his voice rising with surprise.

"What if I wanted to stay with my family? To always be with them? The only way that I could have done that was by dying." Her blue eyes and her words were like icicles cutting into his soul. Zuko could no longer believe his ears.

"We don't know that yet, Katara. Your father and brother could be somewhere deep in the forests of the island. We have no idea."

"It's been two months, Zuko. You would know by now." Katara replied shortly.

"Okay, who knows? None of us want to lose you, Katara. You've become one of us over these past few months. And besides, your dying wouldn't help anyone."

"Well, me just sitting here, holed up on some desert island isn't helping anyone either," Katara countered. "Life is meaningless without a purpose."

"Katara, you do have a purpose, you were meant to live." Zuko tried to reassure her.

"Well, what is it, Zuko?" She asked, exasperated.

"I don't know. A lot of people don't know what their purpose in life is, and that's okay. They eventually figure it out."

"But what if I never figure mine out? What if my purpose is just to die?"

"That's not a purpose, Katara. Trust me, we care about you. Don't just waste away here moping. You're not helping anyone." Zuko was getting tired of Katara's attitude.

"You're not helping anyone either by lecturing me!" She cried.

"Perhaps I would be if you were actually listening to what I'm trying to tell you!" He retorted.

"I am listening, and I still don't understand why you had to save me. I'd be better off dead." Katara turned her back, ending the argument. Zuko left the room, slamming the door.

On the other side, Zuko pondered what had been said. 'Why did I save her?' he asked himself. And then he remembered...seeing her face for the first time, thinking that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen... embracing her as tears ran down her face... understanding her true value... it was then that he realized the truth.

Zuko was in love.

Yay! Zuko has realized his true feelings for Katara! But poor Katara… don't worry, she'll come around.

This chapter was originally typed while listening to Meant to Live by Switchfoot. It fits, huh?

The next chapter is the last one that I have written down. Let's just say there's a major plot point.


End file.
